Birthday After Party

With a birthday three days after Christmas it doesn’t really allow me to be able to throw a party the way I want. People are broke, or saving up for a New Year’s blowout. This just leaves me to making promises for a Clubbing Queen event some time in the next year. That and I can guilt trip people about it later too. I know I’m bad, but a girl has got to do what she can.
This year wasn’t as planned out as I normally get, and I made a lot of allowances for the fact that I will never be able to convert some people into club goers. I was also hoping that I could get my good friends from work to hang with friends I’ve made at other points in my life. That was the only goal I didn’t achieve.
I picked an Irish Pub that was a local hangout for some of my co-workers in the hopes of convincing them to at least have a beer with me. Now I didn’t pick this place specifically for that. I love the atmosphere at this Pub and the fish and chips are totally awesome. The drinks are good and the food is cheep. I figured that would appeal to everyone else.
As I had feared, no one from my work was going to my party, and I was going to end up driving down there and sitting at a table waiting. I am independent enough to do just about anything alone, but I HATE waiting for other people. There’s just something humiliating about being the only one in a whole seating area where it’s obvious that two tables have been moved together. Whether you’re expecting two thousand people to show up, it still just looks like every single person ditched you.
I did end up sitting there, feeling somewhat abandoned, for a good twenty minutes as I fielded phone calls from people telling me they would be late, or were still unsure as to whether they would make it at all. I was certainly starting to think I had been abandoned. I was also uncomfortable about the fact that I was use to sitting in a different section, and where they had put me was usually the dance floor. At some point in the evening they would either try to move us or kick us out. Real encouraging.
Then all at once several of my friends showed up. I love how people will show up in chunks like there is some sort of unwritten timing policy that requires people to show up in groups. Makes me wonder if there have always been people sitting outside waiting for a group to come by in order to go inside. I thought back to an indoor bar-b-que I threw where there were only three people at a time. If one person left, only one person would show up. If three left, then three more would come in. People are strange.
In the end we had just enough chairs to fit all the people. I had my cousin and his boyfriend, a friend that I’ve known since seventh grade, two people that I went to college with, and a friend that I met through an ex-boyfriend. Definitely an interesting crowd.
There were moments of total uncomfortable silence and those are moments that any party organizer totally dreads. You want everyone to have fun, but when they are all staring at each other with nothing to say, I always want to fill the silence or dig a hole to crawl into. It’s in a crowd situation, either dealing with total strangers or with people I know really well, that I prove to myself time and again how much I’ve changed. My ability to jump in and start a conversation back up or get someone else talking was never a talent I would have listed amongst my specialties.
In the end I feel like it went really well. That might have been because I had two (double strength) drinks before I had anything to eat. I was telling stupid stories about what I had been up to lately. Things like the harrowing tale of the Go-Go dancing audition. It was about then that several waitresses started moving tables off the floor and clearing around us, the non-so subtle hint to get going.
So it was just my friend Nicole and I that went on to the next destination in order to get in some dancing. Since before I was 21 Nicole and I were close because we both loved House music and loved to dance, empty floor or not. Before we even headed out to the cars, Nicole firmly stated that since it was my birthday (and the fact that parking sucks) that she would drive me that night. I was really happy, but then she’s always been awesome like that, and I totally owe her big time.
Making the switch to my dancing shoes, well boots anyway, and trading out my leather jacket for my track jacket that had deep zippered pockets. Having clubbed enough alone, I’ve developed this need to have everything important on my person in case something bad happens. This has left me with the insecure habit of always going out in jeans. I have to have pockets for my money, cell phone, and keys. Now if I have the money to splurge on checking a coat, then it must be one with secure pockets and an article of clothing that I won’t be to horribly upset if something happens to it. With all that arranged and settled, I left my car parked in front of the Pub and caught up with Nicole to head out. We were off to see what sort of trouble we could get ourselves into.
Our usual parking lot was strangely full by the time we got there. It was still pretty early in the evening, yet it was sort of encouraging that there would be a good crowd that night. Circling around we ended up at a parking garage that was cheaper, yet left you a perilous block to walk that involved dodging bums asking for money and just strange people pacing outside the clubs in the area. There was even a line to get into the club. I was honestly surprised. It had been quite some time since I had even seen let alone stood in a line for this club at barely ten-thirty at night.
There were actually people dancing when we walked in the door and Nicole and I were definitely pleased. This was a dancing crowd. The bottom floor was even already open. This is the first place I headed in order to get a drink. I had known this particular bartender for quite some time. Whenever he sees me coming, my favorite bottled drink has the cap off and is waiting for me on the counter by the time I make it through the crowd over to him. The first one is most always free. I’ve never taken that for granted. This acquaintance that I’ve made with him, he’s been the one to honor me with such treatment and I will always tip him something in the neighbor hood of twenty-five to thirty percent.
I checked my coat next and the girl that man’s that little closet has always been great to me. Coat check girls are almost notoriously either bitchy or oblivious. She takes your coat but you’re never sure if she didn’t just chuck it in a pile somewhere. I’ve never gotten her name, but she’s always cheerful and has remembered me from past visits. She is one of only two girls that I’ve tipped for taking care of my coat.
After the first drink Nicole and I began what I like to call “the prowl”. We were both looking to meet some new people that night. I just wanted to dance and to have a partner would be an added bonus. As we proceeded to wander from upstairs where the House music was playing to the basement where the DJ was playing hip-hop we kept an eye on the crowd. Although these people were definitely ready to dance and have a good time, it was depressingly comprised of couples. All the hot guys that showed some real flair on the floor had equally gorgeous girlfriends to keep them busy. It was frustrating as the night went on.
Deciding to stay upstairs where the music was at least what we really loved, I think we both resigned ourselves to just have fun without meeting any guys that night. Of course that’s the moment when something happens. It’s even sort of funny how it all happened since it was all a blur really.
I caught a group of guys dancing close by. Some were standing by watching the ones that were actually on the dance floor. Of the few that were dancing, the one white boy was totally busting a move! His friend was laughing his ass off at the performance yet standing in a comical fashion as if considering the whole display. I moved beside the dance judge and struck a similar pose of considering the dancing boy’s moves. The dance judge turned out to be a very good looking Asian guy. We talked for a moment about his friend who was cutting loose. Nicole was close behind and the guy dancing started to work his magic with Nicole. Shrugging I looked to my new acquaintance and we began to dance together as well.
From there we spent the rest of the night with this group of people. Nicole’s partner was named Tim and I was dancing with his friend Patrick. But at the time I barely heard what he had said when we introduced ourselves. At one point we convinced Tim to get up on one of the stages to show off, and did a pretty damn good job until the bouncer suggested Tim find another place to go.
Guys always think that it’s funny to dare me to go up on those tall boxes and dance, as if I’m going to be the average girl and giggle while flatly refusing. I always take it as a challenge, charging directly over there and jumping up on the platform at the first opportunity. I never want to step on another girl’s toes. The stage is her domain as long as she decides she wants it. The same courtesy I hope other girls will use when I’m up there.
I went up there a couple times and did my thing. There’s always a sense of freedom while I am dancing up on a stage or platform. I don’t have to worry about being stepped on or bumped into for that little bit of time. You get to look down on the crowd for a little while and feel important. See things from a different perspective, the DJ’s perspective. I always even fancy myself for a moment as an official Go-Go dancer for the club trying to keep the party going.
We danced, laughed and had an awesome time. When the lights came on at one-thirty in the morning I was honestly surprised. I really hadn’t felt like that kind of time had passed. Parting ways with the boys I went for my coat and Nicole and I headed out. Ironically we bumped into them again as we walked toward the car. Thank god I had the next day from work off. Everyone was hungry so we headed out to a Denny’s that I always use to hit up when I use to hang late with a DJ friend of mine. The caravan headed out.
So the night ended, or should I say morning started up at a Denny’s having coffee and a breakfast of sorts with these guys we met. Learning more about them, it was truly awesome to discover they were all college degree holding boys with impressive jobs. To be holding an intelligent conversation with several guys we had just met in the club and were all sobering up, was a hell of a treat. Tim picked up the bill for everyone’s meal, which surprised the two of us as well. Definitely a gold mine of well-mannered men.
Heading home at five in the morning, there is just a feeling of accomplishment that comes with a night like that. I danced all night, I drank enough to keep a healthy buzz with the help of two hot bartenders that I’ve known for some time, I met some cool new people, and I even jumped up on the stage a couple times to “show ‘em how it’s done.” There really isn’t anything more I could ask for.